Make-ahead, hearty casserole recipe is an easy weeknight dinner with lots of Tex-Mex flavor, gooey cheese and seasoned ground beef.
A family favorite!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Casserole recipes have never been so fast or easy to make!
- This beef burrito casserole is the perfect weeknight meal for busy families.
- Burrito casserole is a dish that even the pickiest of eaters can enjoy.
Basically this creamy burrito casserole is just a lasagna with Tex-Mex ingredients.
When it comes out of the oven it's cheesy-gooey-goodness that is so hard to resist you may find you burn your tongue a few times before you figure out that taking a fresh out of the oven bite is not the smartest thing you could do.
If you love this you'll want to try this one pot taco spaghetti next!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview. You'll find full measurements plus full instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Ground beef
- Onion
- Taco seasoning
- Refried beans
- Cream of chicken soup
- Sour cream
- Flour tortillas
- Cheddar cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
- Cilantro
- Lime
🔪 Instructions
- Brown the ground beef
- Mix in the beans and seasonings.
- Layer in the prepared baking pan.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
If this isn't exactly what you're looking for try the tater tot cowboy casserole. It's a favorite of the meat and potatoes crowd.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
🥫 Storage
Store this beef burrito casserole tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze for longer storage.
📖 Variations
- Use diced cooked chicken instead of ground beef.
- Use whole Ranch style beans instead of refried beans.
- Use corn tortillas (but then it's an enchilada casserole).
- Add ripe olives.
- Add chopped tomatoes and/or avocado to the top.
- Skip the meat and make it vegetarian but doubling up on the beans or adding sauteed zucchini.
- Add a layer of cooked rice to stretch the recipe.
- Cream of mushroom soup can be swapped for the cream of chicken soup.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: I've found that shredding your own cheese gives the best cheese consistency and flavor for this baked burrito casserole.
- Prepare this casserole the night before and bake right before you're ready to eat it for the best results.
- If you do not like the taste of cilantro it can be left out of this recipe.
- Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Enjoy!
- Sliced green onions make a delicious garnish for this recipe.
- You can use taco style cheese or mexican blend cheese.
👩🍳 FAQs
Reheat the beef burrito casserole in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yes, you will need to add at least an extra 10 minutes to your cook time though.
Yes, this casserole can be stored in the freezer tightly covered for up to three months.
📚 Related recipes
- Chicken Taco Casserole is a hearty Tex Mex casserole that the entire family will enjoy.
- Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole is another quick and easy favorite.
- Tamale Pie is a Texas-style casserole that is hearty, filling, and family-friendly.
- King Ranch Chicken is a cheesy casserole that makes for the ultimate comfort food.
- Frito Chicken Casserole is a twist on a classic comfort food recipe.
- I can't resist a good Sloppy Joe!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Southern Creamed Corn is an old-fashioned recipe that goes well with most dishes.
- Spicy Roasted Cauliflower is a great low-carb side dish to serve with any meal.
- Frito Corn Salad is a tangy Tex Mex side dish that the entire family will enjoy.
- There is no better way to end a delicious meal than with a creamy slice of No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake.
📞 The last word
We love this cheesy burrito casserole even more than traditional burritos!
It's a hearty meal that gives you plenty of options for toppings and additions just like your favorite Tex-Mex.
Best of all, it's a good choice for busy weeknights because you can assemble it ahead of time or bake and freeze. It reheats like a charm!
I like easy weeknight meals, don't you?
I mean, when I wasn't working I had no problem with spending an hour or two making a scrumptious dinner but these days that only happens on a weekend if it happens at all. Spoiler alert - it rarely happens at all.
I am self employed with a successful business that isn't big enough to afford me the luxury of bankers hours or regular lunch breaks. Some of my most lucrative deals have been negotiated with my cell phone on my shoulder and my silent prayer that it didn't fall into the pot of spaghetti sauce I was stirring.
You'll understand when I say that a casserole that can be assembled ahead of time and quickly baked at the end of the day is my favorite food group.
Other than chocolate. Or wine.
Here's the other thing.
This burrito casserole is one of my favorite things to take for a potluck or when someone needs a meal. EVERYONE loves it.
My church has a huge foster-family/ adoption ministry. It's one of the things I love most about being part of this particular church and I am part of a team that makes meals for foster families when they get a new placement.
A week or two of meals gives the family a chance to settle in and figure out how it's all going to work.
Being an adopted person myself I have nothing but respect and gratitude for those who take care of the littles who have no one else. I feel lucky to be able to do some small thing to make the transition easier.
You may also like this creamy beef enchilada casserole - all the flavor without all the work!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Creamy Burrito Casserole
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 ounce taco seasoning, one packet or a couple of tablespoonfuls
- 16 ounces refried beans, about 2 cups
- 14.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, don't dilute. You may substitute cream of mushroom or cream of celery
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 10 large flour tortillas, cut in half
- 2 cups mild cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime
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Instructions
- Cook the ground beef and onion in a heavy pan until the beef is cooked through and the onion is tender.
- Drain and stir in the refried beans and taco seasoning.
- Squeeze the lime over the beef mixture, add the cilantro, and stir to blend.
- Set aside.
- Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with no stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl stir together the soup and sour cream.
- Spoon some of the sour cream mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Add a layer of tortillas. Lay them with the flat, cut sides to the sides of the dish to keep them even then add a couple of halves in the middle to cover. This should take about 3 large tortillas.
- Spread a layer of the ground beef mixture over the top of the tortillas.
- Top with a cup of the cheese - mixed if using both Cheddar and pepper jack.
- Repeat layers, starting with sour cream mixture, and finish with the cheese.
- You may cover the dish at this point and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until it's time to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. If it's been refrigerated it may take 30 minutes to heat completely.
- Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use diced cooked chicken instead of ground beef
- Use pepper jack cheese instead of or in addition to the Cheddar to spice things up
- Use whole Ranch style beans instead of refried beans
- Use corn tortillas (but then it's an enchilada casserole)
- Add ripe olives
- Add chopped tomatoes and/or avocado to the top
- Skip the meat and make it vegetarian but doubling up on the beans or adding sauteed zucchini.
- Add a layer of cooked rice to stretch the recipe.
-
Expert Tip: I've found that shredding your own cheese gives the best cheese consistency and flavor for this baked burrito casserole.
- Prepare this casserole the night before and bake right before you're ready to eat it for the best results.
- If you do not like the taste of cilantro it can be left out of this recipe.
- Ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Enjoy!
- Sliced green onions make a delicious garnish for this recipe.
- You can use taco style cheese or mexican blend cheese.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published September 17, 2019. Last updated January 21, 2022 for better images and more tips.
Cathy
Haven’t tried it yet. But looks promising. I need to adjust ingredients to lower salt content - homemade no salt taco seasoning, thinking mashed low/ no salt pinto beans instead of refried. I’ll need to look at the other ingredients as I buy/ assemble them. Can this be split into two 8x8 pans? Or should I make the large one and freeze leftovers. There is just two of us. Thanks for the recipe.
Karen Curry
This recipe will be a new favorite at our house! I layered it in my Pampered C large stone bar pan. I started with the meat then the soup mixture, shredded cheese, tortillas more cheese and more tortillas then cover w foil. It doesn't let the tortillas get soggy OR dry this way but honestly, there was only enough for one left because the flavors were exploding in our mouths! I chopped fresh onion and cilantro with lime juice, sour creme, Taco sauce to top it and served with tortilla chips. Great comfort food! I'm going to take a nap now!!
Lori
Was so excited to make this.
The tortillas were nothing but gummy. What could be done about that?
Marye
I'm not sure? They do get soft but I wouldn't call them gummy. You might try a different brand or try corn tortillas.
Pamela Wood
So happy to have found a new recipe that I will definitely be making again and again. I used 1 cup of a Cotija cheese in addition to the 2 cups of Cheddar. Next time I will add black olives on top and add jalapeños and a few grape tomatoes to my portion.
Michele
What does the soup & sour cream do to the tortillas? Or what’s the purpose of it? Just curious before I make it.
Marye
Well, it's part of the recipe so it adds a lot to the texture and flavor. If you don't use it you have dry beef and some bland, hot tortillas.
Rebecca
This is my 13 year old son's favorite meal. He requests it almost every week. Today we made it together so he can begin learning how to cook and put meals together. This will be a recipe he will be taking with him when he leaves my home and lives on his own someday. ? Thank you for the great recipe!
Marye
Oh my gosh, Rebecca!! Thanks you! That just blesses my socks off!!! Has he tried the King Ranch Casserole? That's another super easy meal. <3 https://www.restlesschipotle.com/king-ranch-chicken/